How does this Labour govt treat its retired 75 year old soldier

[matt66]

Some one somewhere has to take a brave stand at the money making exercise that this labour govt has embarked upon. We pay horrendous taxes and then another form of tax called the council tax has been rising at horrendous rates. One brave man, a retired soldier made a stand and what happens to him the day after Remembrance day.....read here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=416208&in_page_i d=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=NEWS&ct= 5

[sp1814]

I think this is one of the rubbish Tory-invented ideas (like Clause 28) that Labour would've done well in repealing...but what would you suggest the alternative be?

The rates were seen as unfair by the Tories because they did not penalise high-spending councils.

Then they introduced the Poll Tax, which caused riots in London, then they saddled us with the Council Tax.

Okay - let's forget who thought up the Council Tax and look at where we are now...is it fair that someone who has a high value property should pay more for local services, even if he she or they aren't actually cash rich?

Some would say that's unfair...but then, why should the millionaire in his mansion pay the same as a pensioner on income support, just because they live in the same band in the same catchment area?

I'm trying to feel sympathy for Mr Fitzmaurice, but I just don't feel any I'm afraid. What if I served my country and then decided to pick and choose which taxes to pay?

I don't think that anyone should be shamed into supporting Mr Fitzmaurice because he served his country. There are thousands who served in the forces, and continue to, but they don't break the law to make their point. They make their point at the ballot box.

[LazyGun]

How exactly is this the fault of the Labour Govt Matt? Conservatives implemented the poll for a start.
He clearly has issues with the council tax, as I am sure 1,000s of others do. It is also clear from his billboard that he was fully aware of the consequences of his actions.
It wasnt the Govt or the local council that jailed him... it was the courts. I do have some issues with jailing people for non paymnent of fines etc, but in this case, what else were they supposed to do.
He was fully aware of the possible consequences of his action, so I dont have any concern for him.

[NH]

Daily Mail again...these are getting reeeeeeeaaaallllllly predictable now.

Why is a soldier who suffers in some way more tragic than, say, a doctor? Both do their jobs, both contribute to society, just in different ways. And frankly I can't be arsed to read the article.

[THECORBYLOON]

If he could afford to buy an acre of land and build a house worth �300,000 I can't believe he's short of a bob or two.

What would he have thought of comrades who chose to ignore orders whilst serving as a soldier?

Who pays the costs of taking him to court, would it be his fellow residents by any chance?

[Kathyan]

Everybody hated the Poll tax, but I think it would have been a fairer tax had it been based on the ability to pay. With regards to the Council Tax, why should a single person pay the same as a family of 5? House prices have risen at an alarming rate over the past few years, and the government is now cashing in by changing the council tax bands so that we have to pay even more! And whose idea was it that a single person only gets a 25% reduction in Council Tax? Surely it should be 50%? Whatever they decide to do to raise money for the council services, it should be based on the size of the family and the ability to pay.

[mj2000uk]

I take it that he is going to jail instead of paying the fine? Seems worthwhile on the face of it - one month on the inside and saving �1000 or more! It makes economic sense, as he wont have any outgoings whilst he is in there! Might try it myself ....
Oh and Corbyloon, his house values at todays price of �300000 would have cost �50000 or so in 1986. So unless he has a fantastic wage coming in, he is no better off day to day. Why don't you know that?

[youngmafbog]

There are a few things posted here I have an issue with.
1) poll tax is actually a much fairer tax. It is individuals who use the services of the council not the property so it shuold be based on the indidual. Simple as that.
2) Poll tax failed not because it was not fair in principole but because in many areas councils, particulalry opposition parties, saw it as a) an opportunity to raise monmey and b) a poke in the eye for the cuurrent government.
2) Council tax effectively is the old rates system. OK now banded but based on value of property. So why are people moaning?
3) This govenment has been in power 8 years. How can anyone still blame the previous encumbants?
4) It is this government who have consistently reduced the amount of central funding forcing local councils to collect the shortfall. Another of Gordons Stealth taxes - nothing to do with the Tories
5) The new method of regrading the council tax being bandied about is the same - a stealth tax and is completly unfair.
6) Many people like myself are stuck in an expensive property (although it was not when I bought it) becasue of stamp duty and the cost of moving.
7) Nobody who bought a house 6/7 years ago could fortell what was going to happen to house prices and they dont actually gain a thing. If you sell you have to go and buy another so how have you made money on your property. Your successors may do but the owner wont.

Its what we all should expect from a labour government TAX TAX TAX. They believe they can spend our money better than we can so they take it off us to fund armies of government workers who contribut NOTHING to our GDP and only serve to harras us.

As for this chappie, well it is up to him to make his stand as he feels fit. I somehow dont think he wants sympathy he wants his point to be recognised, which it seems to be.

By the way Council tax consists of 50% house tax and 50%

[Loosehead]

Yes YMB the Community charge was a much fairer tax, the main reason it was hated was because it attempted to make the great unwashed pay for local servces rather than only those that own property. Can't have that can we! The current system based only on the property is very unfair especially to pensioners on fixed income who happen to own there home, often a modest home but the bills have more than doubled since 1997 and their income often stands still. I think it's time for a rethink on local authority funding. Some system based on the ability to pay I suppose and I'm having trouble saying this but the Lib dems ideas may be worth a look.

[flip-flop]

I have said this for years - the Poll Tax was a significantly fairer way of collecting local taxes and I've never quite understood why so many people went absolutely bananas about it.

The value of your property has absolutely no bearing on your wealth: somebody may well be asset rich but it doesn't mean they are cash rich.

[sp1814]

Loosehead

Let me play Devil's Advocate here for a moment:

Why should local authority funding be determined on how much someone can pay? If we all make use of (say) rubbish collection, why should someone down the road pay less than me because they earn less?

We all pay the same for gas, water, electricity etc...we don't have means testing for that, so why should we for local authority services?

[flip-flop]

Well equally why should somebody pay more just because their house happens to be worth more: why should a pensioner who purchased their house 50 years ago and who may be sitting on �200k of equity but not have two pennies to rub together pay more than his next door neighbours who have four earning adults living in a house that just happens to be worth less?

I guess whatever system is in place is going to **** off somebody, I just happen to think that the council tax is not as fair as the poll tax: my council tax is over �2500PA - that is a shed load of money!!!

Picking up Loosehead's argument, I think there is a lot to be said for a local income tax.

[flip-flop]

It doesn't help, of course, that local governments, all local governments, appear to be utterly incompetent bloated over-staffed bureaucratic cess pits of ******* Bunterish lickspittles who couldn't oraginse a **** up in a brewery. Perhaps if they weren't so useless the council tax wouldn't be so damn bloody expensive.

�2500 to have my bin emptied every other week is taking the ****.

[flip-flop]

The first asterisked work was head knob but reversed and the other two were pi55.

Goddamn mother ******* ***** ******* profanity ******* filters!!!

[buildersmate]

Poll tax also failed because it proved far less easy, nay impossible, to collect.
Humans inconveniently move around, houses don't.

[jake-the-peg]

The poll tax/community charge was unfair because it did not take account of the ability to pay.

Traditionally taxation in this country involves an income related aspect so that the burden on an individual is assessed in a relative way.

Generally it is felt unfair that a student nurse has to pay as much as the Duke of Westminster.

The problem has come about due to this assessment being made on the value of an asset rather than on somebody's disposable income, where they are disproportionate you get these issues.

Income tax has been generally used for over 200 years and it's difficult to argue that it would be any more unfair than the income tax we already pay.

[Mr Tall]

He will be out in a day or two. Happens all the time - govt let them and pretend someone has paid up for him but wishes to remain anonymous.

[jake-the-peg]

How do you know that?

[youngmafbog]

JTP so poll tax was unfair as it did not take into account peoples ability to pay you say.
Did the rates system, does the council tax system. I dont think so. It failed for politcal reasons nothing else.
Poll tax is fair, however as with all taxes it should also have an element of 'able to pay' i.e. a saftey net for the poorer - those that bother to work the lazy g*ts who protested should pay.
It also never fails to amaze me of how much notice is taken of rent-a-mob which was effectivley the poll tax riots (note I said riots not protests). It should also be remembered that alot of the people on these protests dont have to go to work to put food on the table its the mugs like me who can't afford to take time off to put my point of view who they get theirt cash from.

rant rant rant

[sandbach99]

A man who suffered the 5 or so years of the hell of WW2 , whos' crime is refusing to pay his Council tax of about �1000 gets jailed

A heroin addict who has committed a crime gets sent to jail where he suffers a few days and nights of the hell of cold turkey and gets rewarded with thousands of pounds.


This is British justice at its' best.

Don't bother saying they were already on courses that should have continued, just say how many courses they had been on before and relapsed back into crime and addiction.

[THECORBYLOON]

mj2000uk if they get only the basic State Pension they will be getting �7000 a year in addition to the �8400 Army Pension. He will still have �14000 if he paid what he owes. He lives in a three-bedroomed house, why does he not sell his house and buy a smaller property wi his �250,000 profit?